2025-10-06: Broken People
- Log: Broken People
- Cast: Niko Kirisaki, Shinjiro Aragaki
- Where: Port Island Station - Back Alleys
- OOC Date: October 06, 2025
- IC Date: July 22, 2012
- Summary: Shinjiro goes to apologize to Niko, who is busy feeding a cat. After a serious-ish talk about killing and what it does to you, Niko offers a challenge: figure out why she supports the Joker Killer, and she'll tell him more about herself.
(|==================== Port Island Station - Back Alleys =====================|) -======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====- The first thing one might notice is the conflict of old versus new. The businesses here are more run down, but still stand defiantly, signs of rougher dive bars and hangouts for the folk who don't quite belong in the sunlight of Port Island. In the day, it's mostly drunks and people with nowhere else to go who stand outdoors. At night, the rougher elements of the town congregate openly amidst the rusted chain link fences and litter-filled streets. Delinquent teens who never made it into high school hang out, openly ignoring the laws decent people follow. All who enter here are subject to at least seven pairs of eyes on them, deciding whether or not someone belongs amongst them. Better hope you pass muster, or you're gonna risk a beating.
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Oh noes, it's the day before exams! The most cursed Sunday, the one that has all the good boys and girls shut up inside most if not all of the day to get their last-minute cram sessions in. Especially terrible during summer, robbing everyone of the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather.
That doesn't include Niko, of course. She's free to do whatever she wants. Still, she has her own reasons to dislike exam time. There's less people around to help alleviate her boredom, for one thing. Even the entrance area to the infamous station alleyways is unusually unpopulated. Almost certainly, there are those among the local punks who draw the line of rebellion at outright failing their classes. Some people have trouble with commitment like that.
As Niko has no such issues, she's here today, out by herself in the empty open lot, casually leaning against the wall next to the pair of dumpsters. She has a small bag of convenience store Niboshi (dried small fish - baby sardines in this case) that she's snacking on. Well. She's not entirely by herself. There's a small black cat sitting in front of her, licking its lips, then letting out a tiny mew, prompting a smile from Niko.
"Back for more? You want another one?" Niko holds one of the crunchy treats out by the tail, prompting the cat to get to its feet and start meowing up a storm. With a giggle, Niko tosses the treat a short distance away, watching the little furball chase and pounce on its prey. "Enjoy~"
Not really the sort of display one would expect in a place that's usually all about showing off how tough you are. But Niko's always marched to the beat of her own drum. She'd absolutely still be doing the exact same thing, even if there were people around to watch. What are they gonna do, say something to her? Go ahead, make her day!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
It's been a good few days for Shinjiro, after having a really crappy week previously. Talking to Tsumugi, Yua, and Minako, making up with Myunghon, learning that maybe life is worth living if he can just face his fears. He's in a good enough mood he's decided it's time to talk to Niko, maybe apologize for lashing out. It's weird, apologizing to someone who tried to kill someone he cares about, but he does like her enough to try and maintain a connection, even if he's not entirely sure why.
He's wearing a new red leather coat, with faux wolf fur trim and fingerless gloves, his usual beanie fit snugly on his head. He steps over to the empty lot, expecting Niko to be here, though it feels ominously silent.
The cat catches his attention, as he steps forward, nodding to Niko, he looks down at it. "Huh, found yourself a stray? Looks hungry... wonder how long they've been out here."
A pause, as he tilts his head, nodding again. "You have a minute, Niko?"
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Obviously Niko is in a good mood, when is she not? Barring special circumstances of 'people saying things she doesn't like' or 'people beating her up', of course. It's always other people's fault when that happens. Since nothing like that is going on right now...
Niko cheerfully raises a hand when Shinjiro approaches. "Yooo, Shin-chan! Nothing better to do today?" A roundabout of calling him out for not going to school. His business of course, she was just kind of assuming going back to SEES would mean going back to school. If that's not the case, all the better for her, really.
...Hm? Did something happen that might give her a reason for mixed feelings? It doesn't look as if Niko thinks so. She's the same as always.
"Oh, yeah, this cat's been hanging around here. Not sure if it's got a home or not, don't wanna assume or anything." She doesn't mind sharing, at any rate. With the cat. Rather than offer Shinjiro, she tosses what's left of the bag into her mouth at once. LOUD CRUNCHING NOISES ensue, as she lifts up the lid of the dumpster next to her and tosses the empty bag in.
Look at that, nice to animals AND she doesn't litter. All those people saying she's bad news clearly don't know what they're talking about.
...It's impossible to understand her response with her mouth full. She raises a hand to say 'wait a moment', taking some time to work through it all before she's able to reply more normally.
"...Like I said, sure! Not doing anything in particular." She points in his direction. "Nice coat, by the way. Hope it's less cold for ya. If not~..." She wriggles her fingers at him. That's enough of an implication.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Not at the moment, no," Shinjiro admits, telling Niko he ISN'T in school. He considers it, though. "Been thinking about going back, but I have to decide if it's really worth it, what with what I'm going through." He's being honest for once! How weird?! He really must be in a good mood.
Shinjiro doesn't expect her to share, and doesn't look put off that she doesn't. "Makes sense. If it keeps hanging around here, I can start bringing it food. Wonder what you can make for cats that won't upset their stomach..." he says, the culinary brain going.
But, he had a reason to talk to her. Shinjiro waits for her to mention the coat, smiling as he moves to lean against a dumpster. "No, thank you, it's warm enough. It's from that Peacock Silk place, they make cognitive armor. So it's comfortable *and* practical."
And then, less of a smile as he considers what to say. "I wanted to apologize. I know the last time we met was... bad, for both of us, but I shouldn't have lashed out that hard at you. I wasn't and still am not happy with what was going on... I have a personal grudge with the Joker Killer. But that doesn't and shouldn't extend to you, too." A pause. "I know you've got your reasons."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Niko just kind of shrugs at the matter of school. "Whatever makes ya feel good." She clearly doesn't care, but her motto's equally valid for everyone.
Where it comes to cats, though... "Can't go wrong with plain fish. Just make sure it's unsalted. Best not to give them any raw or oily stuff either." What, you thought she'd just give a cat any convenient snack? Niboshi isn't salted and the fish is boiled before it's dried. She knew exactly what she was doing in her choice of snack.
She lets out a long 'hmmmmm' when Peacock Silk is mentioned, tapping her cheek. "Seemed a bit fancy for my tastes. You had to put up with disapproving looks, or what?" Shinjiro's fashion sense is fine for the back alleys, but that place seemed like it would be all highfalutin.
The apology though... that comes as a genuine surprise. Niko doesn't bother to mask her confused expression. In the end, her smile returns, and she shakes her head. "You worry about the strangest things. That sort of thing..."
No, not quite. Her smile fades again, dropping the flippancy to treat the matter a bit more seriously. "Well. I was gonna say 'it happens', I don't mind trading a few punches when there's a disagreement or anything, but. That last part." She studies Shinjiro's face carefully, as if looking for something in his expression. "Exactly what do you think you know?"
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Heh, I guess that's the running line I've been told. Be a little more selfish, right?" Shinjiro's still tossing around. It's painful for someone as selfless as him, but...
He's taking notes in his mind about the cat food though! "Unsalted, cooked fish... you know if they prefer any specific catches?" Shinjiro asks, since Niko seems to know *some* things. "I can experiment, at least."
Peacock Silk, though... "Actually, no. They were... pretty cool. The lady who made my coat's a real punk, it's kinda more street scene than it is full on high fashion, you know?"
Shinjiro straightens up as Niko responds about his apology, though. As her smile fades again, and she asks him what he knows... he looks away briefly, a heavy sigh. Can he tell her? What's the worst that could happen? He indicated as much last time, so...
"I don't know what you've been through. I can't say we have the same experiences, same pain. That'd be unfair of me. But I know what it's like to take someone's life. I know the weight it puts on you, how it changes the context of living. I don't know if that's the same for everyone who's done what I have, but it's... something I think strongly about." A pause, and a firm look at Niko, finally.
"I don't want anyone to go through that again. Because even if the first time you might survive, or patch yourself up, eventually, I think something might break. I almost did."
Technically, you could even say he did... he's dying on suppressants due to his choices, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
"Duh," is Niko's simple reply, with an exaggerated spreading of the arms. "Do it if you feel like it - but if it sucks for you, don't do it. Of course people would tell you, it's pretty obvious when you're forcing yourself." With a grin, she adds, "Well, it's obvious when you do it."
She seems pretty in her element talking about the cat food, briefly looking aside to where the black cat has started grooming after the snack. "Preferences probably vary, but salmon and tuna are popular." She chuckles, seeing how serious Shinjiro is thinking about this. "You don't gotta get all fancy about it, cats aren't picky about the way you prepare it. But hey, I won't stop you if you wanna go all Shioyaki-style, just remember to leave out the salting part if you do."
Peacock Silk... that's interesting, though she has nothing more to say on it, only looking pensive for a moment. Perhaps she'll have another look at it at some point.
No, what she's most interested in is how he'll respond to that question. What, in his mind, the thing is that he believes to understand about it. She manages to keep her expression neutral all throughout, so he won't be able to guess at her thoughts. But when he finishes talking...
A wide grin appears on her face, and her hand lashes out for a playful push to Shinjiro's chest. A playful push the way Niko defines it, which means 'solid enough to send most people who aren't built like a Shinjiro stumbling back'.
"Silly," is the first word out of her mouth, after which she casually leans back against the wall again. "That's what you were worried about this whole time? Well then, you'll be happy to know... I'm not interested in taking lives at all. I think it sucks when that has to happen." She sighs, smile briefly fading as she casts her eyes upwards. "Just as I thought, you have nooo idea what I'm trying to do. But how could you, really?"
Lowering her head, that smile returns, in a marginally more disturbing way. "After all... the other thing you seem to have failed to realize is... I'm already broken."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"That obvious, huh...?" Shinjiro sighs, before... cat food! "Oh, I can go simple. I just want to make sure it's nutritious enough."
But about the discussion... Shinjiro listens keenly to Niko. As she pushes him back, he has little time to brace but manages not to slide, though it's clearly forceful. But even he can tell it wasn't malicious, so he doesn't say anything..
But the way she talks does worry him... but he can't pity her or judge her. He hates being pitied, so she must hate it too. "That's good to hear. No, perhaps I don't know."
This feels like a turning point. Shinjiro could walk away, and it'd probably be safer. After all, she's already broken. He's not stupid enough to think 'I can fix her', she might make him worse after all. But...
Even as disturbing as it might be, he likes it when people smile, even if it may not be genuine. He likes it when people make him feel alive, too, even if that scares him. "I remember you saying nothing matters. I don't agree, but... I'm not going to try and change your mind. What I am going to do is keep bothering you, though. I think it'd be better for you not to be alone dealing with that, at least, and if you think you're broken, you can at least be so around a friend."
"Maybe someday I'll learn what you're dealing with," Shinjiro says with a melancholic smile. "Or maybe I won't. Doesn't matter to me. But I'm not going anywhere, no matter what others may think of you."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Niko seems to thrive in trying to provoke. Luring out reactions to unexpected things, see how people react. She doesn't need to lie to do that - just express her honest feelings. Despite how this may have been about a more serious matter than she commonly discusses, it's ultimately the same thing. A lot, indeed, depends on exactly how Shinjiro decides to respond to it.
It doesn't cause him to back away, at least. She figures he wouldn't. That wasn't what she was trying to do. She likes people who are stubborn like Shinjiro is, who are ready to do the unexpected. She isn't interested in predictable people. Nor, as correctly surmised, people who feel sorry for her and try to placate with platitudes. No, this attitude...
Niko's smile remains on her face, though it seems to soften a touch from its earlier, almost aggressive nature. "Is that right...?" She leaves that hanging a moment longer, before she bursts into laughter, bending forward to literally slap her knee.
"Man, you took that WAY more seriously than I thought, you should've seen your face just now! Made it hard to hold back laughing!" ...So she didn't, in the end.
After a deep breath, her smile remains as she straightens back up. "Okay, okay, I see how it is. Bother me whenever you want then, I happen to love being bothered. And you can expect to be bothered back when you least expect it." She knows what she said.
With a hand to her chin, she circles around Shinjiro, coming to a stop with her back to the path that leads back to the station, raising a finger. "You know what? Lemme give you one to chew on." She pauses to clarify, needlessly, "Don't mean the snacks. Don't got any more of those," before she continues that line of thought.
"I was getting ahead of myself a little, when I said nothing matters. How about you try to figure this one out first. If I don't like what he does, why do you think I still support Ojisan - The Joker Killer? Here's a hint: it's not just because I think his jokes are funny." Although they totally are.
She's obviously not expecting an answer to that now, given that she points her fingers in Shinjiro's direction afterwards, saying, "Think about it. If you can figure out that much, I'll tell you more about what it is we're dealing with."
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Niko's smile softens for a moment, Shinjiro pauses as she begins laughing. Perhaps unpredictably as usual, he laughs too. One would think he'd take that bad, but maybe he expects this from Niko now. "It's hard not to take things seriously. Maybe you can teach me to be better at relaxing."
But, she says they'll bother each other, and she'll bother him when he least expects it. "Is that a challenge? I'll try to expect it from now on." He's going to fail, knowing Niko.
But, as she circles around him, he turns with her, listening about the one she gave him to chew on. Why does she support the Joker Killer? Why does she call him ojisan, familiarity, treat him as someone she cares about?
Shinjiro doesn't know off the bat. He has suspicions, but he has to ruminate first. He nods when she says think about it.
"I'll take you up on that. Next we meet, maybe I'll give you a guess."
Then, he turns towards the exit himself. "I should get something to eat while I'm near the station. Take care of yourself, Niko."
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Niko clearly doesn't think it's a strange time to laugh, she can only point out, "Don't think you would've laughed with me earlier, you're starting to get it!" Starting to get Niko's point of view... on a surface level. How deep can he go? Niko is interested in finding out. If Shinjiro thought trying to expect the Niko Inquisition was a challenge, trying to figure out the missing logic in between 'not a fan of murder' and 'helping the Joker Killer with his murders' is where the true challenge lies.
She thinks he can manage, with time. After all, he's been looking into the Joker Killer. He should already have everything he needs to figure it out, as long as he can get into Niko's mindset enough to see things her way. Will he understand, then? Time will tell. For now...
"Great!" she expresses at his agreement, clapping her hands together. "Can't promise any more hints, but I'll at least let you know if you're close~" This is a fun game they're playing now. Just because there are some serious underpinnings doesn't mean that she can't have fun with it.
She holds up a hand, cautioning with that same unwavering smile, "Alright, but no following me, now. Just 'cause we're friends doesn't mean you get to be a stalker." Well of course Niko thinks they're friends, what reason does she have not to?
With that, she turns around, waving over her shoulders as she heads for the station exit. "See ya! Probably before you'll see me~"